Taking the Next Step
by illuminatingthesoul
Summary: Jerry is ready to get serious, but Traci is a little less than eager. Will her previous experiences with Leo's Dad cloud her judgement when it is the right guy?
1. The Next Step

My first Traci/Jerry fic, be gentle please as I'm not too familiar with either's personalities hahah. Reviews are always appreciated! Enjoy :)

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The Next Step

Traci leaned back in her chair and took another sip of her drink, revelling in the trail of heat it burnt down her throat. '_Sickness, was fixin' me some._' The song playing was quite fitting, she thought. '_Coughed out my heart in the last stall._' It had been a long day. Hell, it had been a long week. She ran her fingers through her long dark hair and again, leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table.

"Nash, what's crackin'?" A familiar face sat down next to her, startling her a little.

"Ah, the usual. Hard days, harder liquor." They clinked their glasses together. "What about you? What's new in Shawville?" She smiled at the way he drunkenly swayed in his chair.

"It's wonderful, really. My eldest has the lead in her school play, for fifth grade at least. She's Dorothy the elf." He smiled brightly, and quickly waved at Sam as he entered, with Andy in tow. '_Now that the damage is done._' Andy kissed Sam on the cheek and came over to join Traci, while Oliver politely excused himself and sauntered over to his friends.

"Hey girl, how are you?" She tapped Traci's hand as she pulled her chair closer to the table. '_I never miss it at all._' Emily Haines' voice flowed through the bustling bar, sending shivers down Traci's spine.

"I'm fine, I'm good. How are you? You're glowing!" Traci smiled. "Wait, are you pregnant? What are you drinking?" Before Andy could answer, Traci took a gulp of her definitely alcoholic, not for pregnant women tequila.

"I am not pregnant!" Andy laughed as Traci made a face trying to keep the liquor down.

"Aw. I got all excited there for a second." Traci smiled. "I had these visions of baby showers and little Swareks running around."

"Hey, well we get to throw Gail her shower soon! She's six months now, can you believe it?" Andy shook her head and smiled. "It's so crazy." She took a sip of her drink. "Chris said she was only eating organic now. That's gotta be fun."

"Tell me about it. Girl was difficult before, now add in the hormones and only free range chicken? We should have our own TV show." Traci laughed.

"Speaking of kids and difficult significant others, how's Jerry and Leo? You haven't really mentioned either lately." Andy tilted her head to the side.

"Oh, they're good. Jerry's got a big case running right now, he's hoping to wrap soon. Leo, he's himself. Running around all the time, I swear, he never stops." Traci shrugged and chuckled a little. "He's at Dex's this weekend, I had to ship him out. Jerry said he needed to 'talk' to me." She raised her eyebrows.

"About what?" Andy leaned in and whispered excitedly. "Do I hear wedding bells ringing in the near future?"

"Oh I doubt that. His divorce was finalized like five months ago, Andy. I doubt he wants any kind of serious commitment." She leaned back in her chair again.

Across the bar, cheers sounded as Dov and Chris faced off in an arm wrestling match.

"Men." Andy smiled as she watched Sam running around the table, coaching both of them with his beer in his hand.

"I hear that!" Traci laughed as the door opened again and a scruffy looking Jerry.

"I'll give you the table." Andy winked at Traci as she got up. "Call me after!" She whispered before she greeted Jerry and carried on towards the other rookies.

"Bye!" Traci waved goodbye before shooting a demure smile Jerry's way.

"Hey, babe." He sat down next to her and smiled as best he could. He was exhausted, she was exhausted, they both just wanted to go home.

"Hey, how's the case going?" She slid her drink over to him and he gratefully knocked it back.

"Finished, thank God. Trial, then done. Forever and ever and ever." He smiled and stretched in his chair, shaking the haggard look he had about him. "How are you doing? I'm sorry we haven't really had a chance to talk lately. I feel so, disconnected." He leaned forward and folded his hands over hers on the table.

"I'm good! I'm doing good. Just a little tired." She sighed. "Leo misses you."

"I was just going to ask about him! How is he?" Jerry's spine straightened a little.

"Whoa, there! You saw him yesterday!" She laughed. "He's good. Not too happy to be staying with Daddy and his hair dresser, but he'll make it."

"Well, see, I kinda wanted to talk to you. Well, I know you knew that, but it involves Leo too." Jerry began. "But I don't want to do it in a bar, especially the Penny. Let's get away from work for a while." He smiled and stood up, extending a hand to Traci.

"Should I be worried about this 'talk'?" She raised an eyebrow and made sure to catch his gaze.

"No, no. Well, it depends. I don't think you have to worry, but what do I know, right?" He shrugged his shoulders. He didn't realize it but his words caused an eruption of butterflies in Traci's stomach.

"Okay." She laughed nervously before turning to catch Andy's eye. She waved goodbye and mouthed 'I'll call you!' as Jerry led her out of the door. Once the two were outside, the cold air immediately surrounded them.

"Jesus, let's get out of here! It's bloody freezing." Jerry pulled her to the car, fuelled by her ensuing laughter. They reached his SUV and he led her to the passenger door. At first, he reached for the handle but much to her surprise, he changed his mind. Swiftly, he spun her around and pressed her back to the side of the SUV and cupped her face in his hands.

"Well, hello there strang – " Traci began to laugh, but was silenced by a passionate kiss from Jerry.

"Sorry. I know you don't like it when I do that in public. But I haven't really been here the past few days. I mean, I have been, but not like I should have been." He released her face. "I just missed you."

"I missed you too." She smiled back and kissed him again, trying to prolong the moment. It didn't take much for both of them to get swept away; Jerry was always working hard, earning every penny, and juggling Leo, Dex and the job took a lot out of Traci. But those silly little unplanned moments of sheer romance reminded her of what was important.

"Let's get out of here." He smiled at her and opened the door before jogging around to his side of the car and hopping in next to her.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Traci reluctantly brought up the subject, knowing she'd have to face it sooner or later.

"Well, I wanted to ask you something. But I don't really, know how." He chuckled, laughing at himself. "You're gonna think I'm an idiot if I say it wrong. I just don't want you to get, freaked out?" He decided he should stop talking before she got any ideas.

"I won't think you're an idiot, but no guarantees I won't get freaked out." She laughed.

"That's, reassuring." He laughed as he pulled to a stop at a red light. "For me, it was my wife and only my wife." Traci's uncomfortable expression told him to explain, fast. "I mean, I'm kind of a Diaz." He spat out quickly.

"You're a what?" Traci looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"A Diaz. A Chris. It's like, there's that one girl that you think is just it for you, but then she isn't. And then you meet one that you think might be, and you don't know what the hell you're doing." He rambled, trying to keep his cool.

"You're so cute when you're flustered." She tapped his cheek and turned to face the road again as he drove.

"I feel like a thirteen year old trying to get into your pants." He said as they pulled up in front of his place. Traci hadn't planned on staying the night, but she didn't exactly mind.

"Are you trying to get into my pants?" She looked at him with an amused smile tugging at her lips.

"No, no. Well, I wouldn't mind. But that's beside the point." He explained as they both climbed out of the SUV and walked up to his front door. "I just feel totally inadequate." He fumbled with his keys before Traci took them and unlocked the door with ease.

"You sound like a woman." She smiled as she put her purse down on the hall table.

"Great. Now I'm a bumbling, inadequate woman." He took off his jacket and hung it on the rack next to the door.

"Your words, not mine Mr. Barber." She laughed, leading the way into the upstairs living room.

"You know," he pulled her onto the couch with him. "This house has four bedrooms." He raised his eyebrows at her.

"I know, Jerry. How could I forget?" She laughed. "You are totally trying to get in my pants."

"We've been over this! While I would like to get into your pants, there is something else at hand here." He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple as he spoke.

"Well you need to tell me what this something else is before I pull out my old chastity belt." They both burst out laughing.

"Fine, fine." He stood and again extended a hand to her. He helped her up and laced his arm around her waist as he led her down the hallway. Coming to a stop in front of one of the three guest bedrooms, he pushed open the door. "So I think this room could masquerade as a kind of office. Yeah?" He furrowed his brow.

"You made such a big deal out of asking me if this room could double as an office?" She laughed.

"No, this is all a part of the grand plan." He said smoothly. "Now, come over here." He led her across the hall to the doorway of another spare bedroom.

"Let me guess, games room?" She said, yawning.

"You're a funny one, Nash." He stepped behind her and placed his arms around her waist. She folded her hands over his and relaxed against him, resisting the tempting sensation elicited by the muscles under that blazer of his.

"I try." She sighed.

"So, we've got a study slash office over there," he recapped. "This, would be perfect for a child's bedroom, don't you think? A certain six year old boy, actually, was who I had in mind." Traci turned to face him with wide eyes.

"You mean – " She began, but he cut her off.

"Look, I don't know how else to ask you this. Remember when I lost my notes, and I made that comment about you two?" He wasn't trying to bring back bad blood.

"Yeah, I do." She raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't see Leo for like two weeks after that. And I hated it." He put his hands on her shoulders. "Since then it's been so good with all of us, I love hanging out with him. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't hate me either." Traci's open mouth slowly started turning upwards into a smile. "My place, it's closer to his school than yours is, there's a park right down the street, that friend of his lives like two blocks over. You know, that place we took him to for a play date a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah." Traci nodded, smiling.

"Will you two move in with me?" He asked quietly, holding his breath and waiting for her response.

"Are you sure, Jerry?" She smiled sympathetically. "I know you mean well, but are you sure that you're ready for this? You and Kathleen, you were married for so long, are you sure that you want to jump into something right out of the gate?"

"Honestly," He sighed and looked at his feet. "I have no idea. I think I'm ready for it, I think this is what comes next. My gut tells me that I'm doing the right thing. But as we all know, my gut has been wrong before." He leaned back against the wall opposite Traci and slid down to the floor.

"I think your heart is in the right place, Jer." She sat down across from him. "But don't you want some time to yourself?"

"I thought I did. But I'd come home at night, and I wouldn't be able to focus on anything. All I could do was sit there and do my best not to call you and ask you to come over. We barely get to see each other at work, I don't like it. I want to see you all the time."

"Oh, Jer." Her heart melted a little as her boyfriend fell back into old habits. When he was 'work Jerry', he was very professional. He had a job to do, and he made damn sure that he did it well. Sometimes, that left him a little short on the attentive, romantic side.

But when he was regular Jerry, she felt like a princess. It always amazed her that no one had really seen that side of him, and that her friends would always look at her like she was crazy when she'd tell them about their date nights.

"So what do you think? Will you at least think about it?" He looked up at her, a little worried. She put her hand on his knee.

"Personally, I love the idea. How about we do a sort of trial period and see how you like having Leo around? It's a really, really big step when there's a child involved, Jer. Leo loves you, but he isn't the same happy little kid when its bedtime and he's not tired." She smiled.

"Well, it's not the answer I'd hoped for, but I think you're probably right." He smiled, before crawling onto his knees and leaning over hers to kiss her gently.

"When do you want us to come over?" She asked, her face mere inches away from his.

Jerry paused a minute.

"Do you think Dex would be mad if we picked Leo up tonight?"


	2. Fatherly Instinct

Fatherly Instinct

A few hours later, Traci opened her eyes; unwillingly pulled from her deep sleep. It was true, they really hadn't seen each other much lately. Combine that with Jerry's sudden chivalry and there was a whole lot of bubbling, boiling lust in the crackling air between them.

Needless to say, Traci's metaphorical chastity belt wasn't needed that night.

The two lay on Jerry's king sized bed, intertwined in the cream coloured sheets and each other. Jerry's hand was splayed out on Traci's back, feeling the rise and fall of her body as well as her hot breath on his skin as she breathed.

He smiled down at her beautiful chocolate coloured skin in the spaces of his caramel coloured fingers. He loved the way their skin tones mixed and contrasted in such perfect harmony, he counted it as another testament to his growing love for her.

"Let's get him tomorrow." She whispered.

"I'm fine with that." He smiled, pulling up the comforter over her bare legs. She smelled like coconuts. He noticed that the second he met her at the academy, and that had lingered with him ever since then. It was the first thing he noticed about her in the morning, and the last thing in his mind before he fell asleep.

He never really liked the smell of coconut until he'd met her. Now, it was almost an aphrodisiac. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly, not being able to resist the scent.

Traci smiled at the contact and kissed his chest. The moonlight illuminated the room, and a small draft washed over her back, causing goose bumps to spread across her body. She looked down at her arm, folded over Jerry's chest and studied the small hairs standing on end as a small shiver trickled down her spine.

Jerry pulled up the blankets higher to cover her, a little to his dismay. Admiring her smooth skin in the moonlight had kept him quite content over the past few minutes.

Traci felt the hands of warmth and comfort caress her body as she closed her eyes and exhaled, drifting into a light sleep with Jerry following suit. The moment was fleeting, though. It was less than a half hour later that the piercing ring of Traci's cell phone sounded from her bag in the hallway.

"Damn." She sighed, sitting up. "Give me." She pulled the blanket off of the bed and wrapped it around herself, still half asleep. Jerry chuckled as she slowly padded down the hallway and fumbled around with her purse, trying to find her phone.

Less than a minute later, she appeared back into the doorway and dropped the blanket before trying to find her clothes.

"You want us to move in? Trial period starts now. Leo wants Mommy." She looked up at Jerry, who was now sitting on the bed.

"Shouldn't he be in bed? It's past midnight." He asked as he climbed out of bed and found clothes to put on.

"Yeah, Dex isn't too strict about that." She sighed. "He's a bachelor. Kind of. What do you expect?"

"Not all bachelors are dead beat fathers." Jerry muttered under his breath. He'd had undeniable contempt for Dex since the moment Traci had explained the situation to him however many months ago. He'd only met him once, but he could practically smell the dishonesty and ulterior motives about him.

"Damnit, Jerry. You have to be gentler." Traci cursed from across the room.

"What? Did I hurt you?" He nearly sprinted across the room, but she just laughed.

"No, you hurt my bra. Look at this!" She pointed to the broken clasps on the back. "Gentlemen unhook the bra, not tear it off." She shot him a scolding yet provocative look.

"I'll buy you a new one." He offered, taking the garment from her and tossing it onto the floor behind him.

"I might just hold you to that." She responded, sliding one of his sweaters over her bare body. "Alright, to Dex's."

"To Dex's." Jerry followed her out to the car.

The ride there was unintentionally hurried. Jerry really disliked the idea of Leo being there with his Dad against his will, even if he did change his mind every thirty seconds. He pulled up in front of the townhouse and nearly beat Traci to the front door. He knocked, and after a few seconds the door opened to reveal a shirtless Dex.

"Hey, oh. You, are with him. Okay." He said, before turning back into the hallway and calling out. "Leo, your Mom is here."

"Why isn't he in bed?" Traci asked.

"He wanted Mommy. The kid wants what he wants." Dex shrugged, and it was at this point that Traci caught the scent of alcohol on his breath.

"Mommy!" Leo yelled from upstairs. He appeared at the top of the stairs in his pajamas, and his eyes widened to an almost comical width. "JERRY!" He yelled even louder. He thundered down the stairs and blew past his father before jumping into Jerry's waiting arms.

"Hey man!" Jerry laughed, settling Leo on his hip.

"So, you're going back to your place, right?" Dex looked at Traci.

"I'm going to Jerry's house!" Leo declared, eliciting a disgusted look from his Dad.

"I think you should probably just go home." Dex pressed, his disdain for the detective growing very clear.

"Well, Dex. Leo's clearly got different ideas." Traci answered.

"He's six years old, what does that matter?" He retorted, a malicious tone is his voice. Jerry stepped in front of Traci a little.

"You said it yourself. The kid wants what he wants." The men exchanged heated glares before Traci gently laced her hand around Jerry's jaw, willing him to walk away.

"Goodbye, Dex." She led the way down the front steps.

"Bye Leo." Dex called out unenthusiastically, expecting a response from his son. He was less than pleased when Leo completely ignored him, and just chatted with Jerry all the way back to the vehicle.

"You enjoyed that way too much." Traci smiled as they climbed into the SUV.

"While that is true, it doesn't make me a bad person." Jerry smiled smugly as he pulled away from the curb. "Right Leo?" He looked in the rear view mirror to see the child already fast asleep in his seat. "He agrees."

Traci smiled and reached across the front seat, and gently placed her hand on the side of Jerry's face, prompting him to turn to look at her. She rubbed the pad of her thumb over his cheek and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Thank _you_." He insisted. "You don't know how much I need this right now. This is great." He smiled, and whispered a little too excitedly as he smoothly turned another corner.

"Well, you're saying that now. He can be quite the handful." Traci warned, motioning for him to keep his eyes on the road.

"I welcome the challenge." He smiled.

A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of Jerry's house. Traci got out and walked around to the other side of the SUV to see Jerry already holding the sleeping Leo.

"That was fast." She laughed, taking his keys from him and unlocking the door.

"I just didn't want you to have to carry him." He said quietly, slipping off his shoes once inside. "He should be fine in the guest room, right? And we can grab him some new clothes in the morning before school?" He asked over his shoulder as they started up the stairs.

"Yeah, that sounds perfect." She whispered. Jerry gently lay Leo down in the guest room and Traci pulled the covers up over him, kissing his forehead. Jerry placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out of the room.

Once sufficiently stripped down and settled comfortably in bed, Jerry held Traci's body close to his. Traci kissed him gently and intertwined her legs in his.

"Night, Traci." He whispered, kissing her nose.

"Night." She closed her eyes and sighed, her breath on his neck giving him chills.

They both fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

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At exactly five o'clock the next morning, Traci jolted awake at the sound of Jerry's alarm clock.

She groaned and rolled over, expecting to feel his warm body next to her. She lifted her head and furrowed her brow once she realized that she was alone in bed. Slowly, she rolled onto her back again before finding the strength to get out of bed. She slid on one of Jerry's T-shirts and quietly padded down the hallway, checking all of the rooms. It was still dark out, so she doubted that they'd left. But as she cleared the second floor and found no sign of Jerry or Leo, she grew more than a little puzzled.

"Jer?" She whispered, walking down the stairs. She rounded the corner into the living room and a smile spread across her face and her heart melted.

Jerry was sprawled out on the couch, one foot touching the ground and one arm hanging off the side. Leo, was sound asleep on Jerry's chest. Jerry stirred a little and opened his eyes.

"Morning." He whispered, waving to Traci. She walked over to the couch and kissed both of her favourite men on the forehead, before sitting down next to them on the floor.

"What happened here?" She smiled.

"He came into our room at like three, said he couldn't sleep. So we came out here and watched TV. He fell asleep like ten minutes later." Jerry smiled, rubbing Leo's back a little before leaning forward and standing, holding Leo to him carefully.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Traci asked quietly, taking Leo from Jerry and letting him stretch out his arms and neck.

"You were sleeping. That's what parenthood is, right? Sharing the late nights?" He smiled.

"You are too good to me." A happy tear escaped her eyes. She never thought she'd be apart of a family like this. But in a matter of hours, it had all come together.

"If you go put him back in our bed, I'll start coffee?" He kissed her.

"Sounds good." She turned and walked back up the stairs. Jerry stood there a minute and smiled to himself.

"I could get used to this." He laughed, walking into the kitchen and preparing for the long day ahead.


	3. Saying it, and Meaning it

I'm too tired to write anything of substance here. ENJOY! (:

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Saying it, and Meaning it.

'_Another day, another dollar._' Traci thought as she exited the station through the front doors and jogged down to her car, parked at the curb. She wasn't supposed to leave it there, but it had been another long, interesting week. She flipped open her phone and called Andy with one hand, while opening the door and falling happily into her seat.

"McNally." She answered wearily.

"Hey, girl! What are you so down about?" Traci asked her friend, noticing the unhappy tone in her voice.

"I lost my wedding dress. I walked into the salon, and someone was literally paying for it. It was a one of a kind!" Andy explained, a little panicked.

"Oh, damn! The Pnina Tornai?" Traci sighed. "Don't worry about it Andy, we'll get you a new one. A better one." She said adamantly, not going to let these pre-wedding details get Andy all riled up.

"Trace, that one was _made _for me." Andy sighed.

"Hey, you. Look, the division's Christmas party is next weekend, and we both need new dresses. We'll go shopping then, okay?" Traci offered sympathetically.

"Alright." Andy sighed. "Can you come over for a while? I'm almost done with this B&E, Shaw said he'd take care of the paperwork. I need help with flowers."

"Sure, sounds great. I just have to clear it with Jerry, make sure it's okay to leave Leo with him. How's an hour sound?" Traci started up her car.

"Perfect. Bring booze. Love you." Andy responded. "Bye, Trace."

"Bye." Traci laughed, pulling away from the curb. She headed back to Jerry's, totally ready for her man's warm arms around her. She didn't think that she'd really get into this whole 'living together' thing, but she really did love it. And from what she could tell, Leo loved it too.

She pulled up in front of his house and eagerly ran to the front door. She hastily unlocked it and dropped her things inside, where Jerry was standing. She fell into his waiting arms.

"Hi." She said to his shoulder.

"Hey, my girl." He whispered, kissing her head. "How are you, baby?"

"Super tired. How are you?" She responded, her face still buried in his chest.

"I'm good, actually." He smiled, inhaling the coconut scent of her shampoo.

"I was gonna go over to Andy's for a little while, she just lost her dream wedding dress. Could you watch Leo for like, three hours?" She didn't let go of his body.

"I think I could manage that. How was work?" He began rubbing his hands over her shoulders, a soothing motion that he knew she loved.

"Workish. Will you take a half hour nap with me?" She looked up at him and stifled a yawn.

"That sounds wonderful." He admitted, laughing. He slid one arm down to her knees and the other under her arms and lifted her off the ground, carrying her up to the bedroom. She unhooked her bra and slid it off from underneath her shirt. He slid off his shirt and set the alarm on his phone before crawling into bed with her. She snuggled up to him and for a few minutes all of her stress and troubles melted away.

She knew that she was really in trouble. She hadn't had the best track record with men, and she just prayed that her relationship with Jerry didn't end the way it normally did. If he left, she didn't know what she would do. Love? Maybe. She wasn't sure if she was ready to admit it to herself, let alone him. What if he got scared, or felt suffocated?

"You okay?" He whispered.

"What? Yeah. Why?" She answered quietly, yawning again and running her hand over his chest.

"You stopped breathing there, for a second." He furrowed his brow.

"Oh." Traci laughed. "I'm just thinking."

"Yeah, me too." He whispered, and then they fell asleep again.

Thirty minutes later, Jerry's alarm sounded.

"No." Traci groaned. "I don't wanna get up."

"Go be a good friend, Trace." He laughed. "I'll be here when you get back, we can pick up where we left off, okay?" He kissed her forehead.

"You mean, we can fall back into bed and pass out before we get anything done?" She laughed, sitting up and stretching, her tight T-shirt against her body extremely tempting to Jerry.

"Hey, as long as I'm in bed with you, it doesn't matter what we're doing." He leaned forward and kissed her. "Now go, get out of here. Go have some girl time." He took her hands and pulled her off the bed.

"Okay." She yawned again and slid her arms around his body, hugging him again. "I'll miss you. I should be home before it's Leo's bed time. I'll do my best." She sighed. "I'll miss you." She repeated.

"I'll miss you too, sweetheart." He whispered, smiling. She released her grip on him and began to leave. He followed her down the hallway, and handed her a jacket as she slid on her shoes.

"Bye." She kissed him, before turning and opening the door to leave. He watched as she walked down the front steps and made her way to the car.

"Wait, Trace." He called out, walking out to the top step. She turned to look at him, her head tilted a little. "I love you." He smiled at her. Slowly, her lips turned into a smile.

"I love you too." She smiled. She nodded to herself a little, and then turned and got into her car. "Yeah. I'm in trouble, all right."

The ride to Andy's didn't take long. Tequila in hand, Traci knocked on the Swarek/McNally household's front door, and tried not to laugh when Andy answered.

"Girl, you need a hobby. You know, something to do." She laughed, pushing past her sweaty, out of breath friend and walking into the living room. Andy blushed and fixed her shirt, and followed her.

"I'm her hobby!" Sam called from the bedroom upstairs.

"Sam!" Andy shrieked, laughing. "You have to stop that!" She smiled demurely at Traci. "Sorry." She sat down on the couch and motioned for Traci to do the same.

Traci joined her and eagerly poured both of them shots in the waiting shot glasses on the table.

"Bottoms up." They knocked back the liquid, sans chase. "Alright. Let's do this." She opened up the first wedding magazine on the table and began pointing to random flowers. "This? These? Roses. White roses?" She took another shot.

"Stressed much, Trace?" Andy took the magazine from her friend and tossed it back onto the table.

"Is it that obvious?" She fell back onto the couch.

"You're two shots in and you've been here for like thirty seconds. Usually it takes us a while to get into it. What's going on?" Andy looked at her friend.

"Oh, Andy." Tears rushed to Traci's eyes. They hadn't talked about important things in months now, and things were really starting to pile up. They were often each others therapists, but with work, weddings and everything else, they just didn't have the time. "I'm freaking out."

"Why?" Andy scooted closer to Traci, putting her hand on her knee. "What's happened?"

"It's just, it's not, it wasn't one thing. It's just everything. We've got the PARE coming up again, I'm not ready. I haven't been able to really work out in a few weeks now, and that damn obstacle course is going to kill me. They'll take me out of the field!" Traci sniffed.

"Trace, you're a great cop. It's not going to be a problem. Every six months, it's just how it goes. You'll do fine, I know it. We'll go to the gym tomorrow, okay? Before shift?" Andy caught her gaze and nodded, doing her best to reassure Traci.

"Okay. Okay." Traci nodded, wiping her eyes. "But then I have this whole Jerry, Leo, Dex thing. What do I do? I don't want to scare Jerry, but I really don't want to ever have to face Dex alone again." She folded her hands in her lap. "I'm so messed up. The only relationship with a man in my life that isn't terrifying is the one I have with my son."

"Oh, girl." Andy moved over to her again, and pulled her friend in for a hug. "What's going on? Tell me everything, start to finish." Andy handed her another shot. Traci drank it and took a deep breath.

"You can't tell Jerry this, but when he and I first got together when I was in the academy, he didn't know about Leo. But he knew about Dex. Dex _hated _Jerry, and he still does. He yelled at me, all the time about it, whenever I'd go get Leo. It stopped for a while, but when Jerry and I went to get Leo the other night, it all started again. He called me the next day and said that there was going to be 'hell to pay' if I didn't stop seeing Jerry." She cried.

"He threatened you? Traci, why didn't you tell me? We've got to do something about him!" Andy looked at her.

"We can't, I don't want to cause any more problems." Traci shook her head.

"Hey, none of that. I know better than anyone that ex boyfriends need to be kept at a safe distance." Andy looked at her, very seriously.

"I don't want to stress Jerry or Leo out, they don't deserve it!" She responded.

"Neither do you! Look, I'll go over there with Sam and issue a warning, okay? We'll keep it quiet." Andy rubbed her thumb over the back of Traci's hand.

"Okay. Thank you." Traci whispered.

"What else is going on? You're still chewing on your bottom lip like you do when you're nervous." Andy looked at her, furrowing her brow.

"Jerry just told me he loved me." She looked up, quietly sighing, her voice plagued with disbelief.

"Well, he's said it to you before, hasn't he?" Andy tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah, he has. But I think maybe, he just said it because he thought that it was right. Now, I think he really meant it." Traci searched for the right words to describe the peculiar feeling in her chest. "I can feel it. Physically, almost. Maybe it's the tequila talking, but it just feels like he really meant it." She began to smile. "I said it back. I know I meant it."

"Aw, Trace. I know just what that feels like." Andy hugged Traci around the shoulders. "So what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. It's wonderful. But now I have to think about officially moving Leo in, and moving myself in. I forget about myself, but do you know how much crap I have? It'll never fit in Jerry's place. Dex is going to be furious." Traci started to bite her lip again.

"Girl, stop worrying about Dex. He is no longer in the picture, okay? Erased. Gone. Boom. Done." Andy waved her hands around to illustrate her point.

"If you insist." Traci laughed. "Enough about me. I don't like this. So, pink or red?" She pointed at the magazine on the table.

Andy let out a satisfied laugh and began to scan through the bridal guide in her hands. A good end to a good day, she thought.

Nearly three hours later, Traci picked up the phone and dialled Jerry's number.

"Hey, babe. I know I said I'd be home like, now, but I think I had too much to drink." She admitted sheepishly. "I'm sorry, but where are you right now?" She hated having to inconvenience him.

"Actually, I'm outside." He sighed. "We need to talk for a minute."

"Why? Jerry, what's going on?" Traci leaned forward, prompting Andy to do the same.

"Just, come out here please. We've got a bit of a problem." Jerry replied sombrely.

"Okay, I'll be out in like two seconds." She jumped up off the couch and began gathering her things.

"Get Andy and Sam too. They're gonna want to see this." He snapped his phone shut.

"Shit. Andy come with me, get Sam." Traci flung open the door.

"What's happening? Sam! Get your hot ass down here!" Andy jogged out behind Traci.

"What's going on?" Traci asked as she met Jerry at the bottom of the stairs, and saw his car packed with Leo and two suitcases.

"Something happened, at our place. Someone broke in. We've got to stay at a hotel for a few days." Jerry spoke once she slid her arms around his neck in a concerned hug.

"What? Was anything taken? Who, when, how?" She stuttered, in shock. Sam and Andy met them on the stairs. Jerry laughed a little. This felt like parade.

"I took Leo out for ice cream," Traci's heart jumped. "And when I got back, all the windows were broken. All of them. Mirrors shattered, fridge emptied onto the floor, laptop snapped in two." The three let out a prolonged gasp.

"What?" Andy's eyes were wide.

"Oh, God, Jer. Was anything taken?" She repeated.

"No, not that I can tell. But, there is something else." He raised his eyebrows, still mulling over the information in his own mind.

"What is it?" Sam stepped forward a little.

"There was blood, or something that looked like blood, smeared all over the walls." He lowered his voice. "Everywhere."

"What the hell?" Sam snapped. "Do you have any idea of who could've done it?"

"Nothing yet. We've just gotta be out for a few days while they clean the place up, and then by then it'll hopefully all be resolved. You know, B&E, we'll catch 'em." He shrugged and sighed.

"We can just stay at my place. I know it's small, but it's better than a hotel." Traci slid her hand up his forearm.

"No, we can't Trace." He looked down at her. "Your apartments been trashed too."

"What?" Traci's heart jumped, but not in a good way.

"Your mom called me. It's the same thing. Windows, mirrors, everything glass has been smashed. Blood on the walls. Someone was trying to send a message." His jaw clenched.

"Dex." Traci clenched her fists and took off running towards her car.

"Traci, stop!" Jerry called out, running after her. She started the engine and drove away before he could get to her. "Damnit." Jerry cursed under his breath. "Guys, I've gotta go." He looked back at Sam and Andy.

"We're coming. We'll meet you at Dex's." Sam said, pulling Andy towards his truck.

"Hurry, okay?" Jerry said, worried. Traci was more than a little alcohol in, and he knew that her anger was the one thing she couldn't control when it came to Dex. "If he touches her, I swear to God." He looked up at the sky and took a deep breath before flinging open the door and taking off, Leo happily oblivious in the back seat.


	4. Fighting

**Fighting**

"Dex! Get out here now!" Traci slammed her fist against his front door with everything she had. "You pathetic son of a bitch! Be a man and get out here!" She screamed, praying that Jerry wouldn't catch up to her.

"Traci, what the hell are you doing?" A voice sounded from behind her. She turned to see Dex in the middle of the street, looking a little dishevelled. She stomped down the stairs and walked to him, slamming the palms of her hands into his shoulders.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She barked at him, his smug expression only fuelling the fire. "You are unbelievable!" She screamed.

"Sorry, Trace. I don't know what you're talking about." He smiled, placing his hands on his hips.

"Bullshit. You can't do this! You can't punish me for finally accepting that I deserve better than you!" She dug her index finger into his chest.

"Traci, I think you've had a long night and you should probably just go home and get a good nights rest with that skinny little detective." Dex raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

"Yeah, Dex. Sure." She nodded her head, before exploding once more. "Do you think I'm stupid?" She yanked his hands up so she could look at his palms. "Oh look, Dex. Your hands are stained red. Imagine that." She threw his hands down to his sides. "You're going to jail." She turned to walk back to her car, but he called after her.

"You are just as much at fault here as I am!" He pointed at her and screamed. "You stupid bitch!"

"Watch yourself, Dex. I'm a cop, remember. I could knock you out with one punch." She turned to look at him. "How is this my fault?" She asked incredulously. "I didn't trash both my apartment and Jerry's home. I didn't alien my child and his mother." She shook her head.

"It's your fault that Leo doesn't like me. That sleazy detective asshole is turning him against me." Dex snapped. Behind Traci, he could see two cars turn the corner and proceed towards them, stopping only twenty feet behind Traci, who was still in the road.

"Don't you dare blame Jerry for this!" She yelled as Andy, Sam and Jerry exited their vehicles. Jerry took off in a run towards her, but Sam grabbed his elbow and restrained him.

"Let her." He said quietly. Andy looked at Sam and then began to jog towards Traci.

"He has done nothing wrong! You're just jealous of me, and him, and Leo." Traci took a few steps toward him. "You know, Jerry stayed up with Leo and then slept with him on the couch the other night, because Leo couldn't sleep. Did he ever come to you when he had a nightmare, or because he missed you?"

"Shut up, Traci." Dex seethed.

"I don't care what you think, Dex. Just because your Dad treated your Mom horribly does not mean that you get to do the same with me." Her voice rose again.

"Don't you dare!" He yelled, stepping ever closer so that they were all of maybe a foot apart.

"Watch me." She spat. "You never told me you loved me, not once. You got me pregnant, and then you left. You are one pathetic excuse for a man!" She screamed.

"I never told you that because it wasn't true! I don't love you, I never have." He yelled. "Bitch."

At this point, Traci had had enough. She reached out and slapped Dex square across the face, and then pointed at him, looking him square in the eye.

"You not loving me is the best thing that could've happened. Because I learned how to deal with assholes like you, I'm happier than I've ever been. Because he," She turned around and pointed at Jerry. "Is a real goddamn man. He is a real man, a real father. I love him, and he loves me and _your _son more than you ever will because that, is what a real man does. And if I have anything to do with it, you will never have an unsupervised visit with Leo again." Her eyes burned with the hot intensity of pure disgust. Jerry tugged a little against Sam's grip, but he didn't let up. He heard every word coming out of Traci's mouth, and could see the anger building behind Dex's eyes.

"I have to go out there." He muttered. "Why did Andy stop? She has to go help!" Jerry breathed, the line between actions of reason and actions of passion quickly becoming blurred.

"Traci has to tell him how she really feels. He's going to jail, Jer." Sam growled. "It's okay." Dex's voice elevated from down the street.

"Shut up, bitch. An irresponsible mother with an unpredictable job. We both know that any sensible judge would leave him with me." He laughed.

"You're hilarious, Dex. Really, you are. No 'sensible judge' would ever leave a six year old boy with the worst father in the world. He hates you, Dex. You terrify him!" She screamed. "You'd beat him bloody senseless before he could ever say it himself, though, wouldn't you?" She shook her head in disgust. "Just like your father." She muttered.

Within an instant, Dex's hand was around her throat with a vice like grip. Traci choked in surprise, and he leaned in and spoke to her, maybe an inch away.

"You were never worth the time, anyways. Whore." He seethed.

Andy made her move, and was there in a second with Jerry following suit. Andy swung and hit Dex in the jaw, sending him flying away from Traci. She gasped and reached for her own neck, rubbing the tender areas while Andy ushered her away from Dex, who was getting back up off of the ground.

"It's okay, it's okay." Andy whispered, cupping Traci's face in her hands. "You're okay."

"You son of a bitch." Jerry seethed as Dex pulled himself to his feet and faced him. He'd reached the man only a few seconds after Andy had gotten him off of Traci.

"Hey there, real man. You proud to be dating a slut?" Dex was on the ground again as Jerry decked him in the jaw and kicked out the back of his knees. Jerry rolled him over and bent his arm behind is back, digging his face into the cement.

"You wanna say that again?" He muttered quietly. "Go on, I dare you."

Dex looked up defiantly and said his last word for a few days.

"Slut." He began to laugh, and the line between actions of reason and actions of passion vanished as Jerry flipped him over and broke his jaw with a single blow.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa there!" Sam, who was standing behind Jerry, finally stepped in and lifted his friend off of the beaten man and pushed him gently off to the side. "Go kiss your girlfriend." Jerry rubbed his hands over his face and then nodded, kicking Dex in the leg on his way over to Traci.

"See you in court, asshole." He called over his shoulder as he jogged over to his girlfriend, who was more than shaken on the side of the road. "Traci, Traci. Babe are you okay? Do we need to go to a doctor? Should I… hit him again?" Jerry spoke quickly as he sat down on the curb next to her and every ounce of anger in him dissipated. She leaned into him and let herself inhale the scent of his barely there cologne and tried to calm herself down.

"I want to go home." She whispered. "Where's Leo?" She sat up straight. "Where is he? Is he okay?" Her breathing sped up. "He didn't see, did he?"

"He's fine, sleeping. I just checked on him" Andy piped up from behind them.

An officer had just pulled up behind them, ready to take Dex down to the station.

"I hope I never have to see him again." She whispered to Jerry as he wrapped her even tighter in his arms. He slowly kissed from her forehead down her nose and then to her lips.

"You never will." He whispered. She slowly crumbled a little bit, and then a little more until her tears had begun soaking his shirt. He gently rubbed his thumb over her cheek and whispered. "Never, ever again."

"Here." Sam handed Jerry the keys to his old place, which he hadn't put on the market yet. "No hotels for you. Stay as long as you need." Normally, Jerry would have kindly declined his offer and gotten them a room at a hotel; but he was just too damn tired.

"Thank you, Sam. Really." His friend nodded and then took his fiancée by the hand and began leading her back to the car. "Night, kids." Jerry called after them.

"Night Traci, we'll talk soon. Bye, Jer." Andy smiled.

"Night lover boy." Sam laughed. "See you soon, Trace."

"Night." Traci whispered, too quiet for them to hear.

They sat on the curb for a few more minutes, both recovering from the events of the evening.

"Let's go." Jerry stood, the freezing air finally getting to him. He helped her up and walked her back to the car, and watched in agony as she stared blankly out the window, trying to stifle the sobs escaping her lips.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Leo asked sleepily from the back seat.

"No, no, Leo. Don't worry honey, go back to bed. Nothing's wrong with Mommy." She managed to choke out.

"Leo, your Mom is really tired. How about we play the quiet game again, and let her get some rest?" Jerry turned to look at Leo. The little boy nodded and pretended to zip his lips closed.

They finally pulled up in front of Sam's old place about ten minutes later. Jerry got out of the car and walked around to Leo's door, unstrapped him and picked him and a single bag up.

"You coming?" He asked Traci through the back door.

"Give me a second." She whispered, staring straight ahead.

"Alright." Jerry nodded, before taking Leo up to the house and getting him settled in bed. He returned to the car again to remove the rest of their bags, left them just inside the door, before walking back to the car and getting in the backseat.

"Come back here." He said quietly. She sat for a few seconds motionless before opening her door and moving to the backseat next to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her close to him, kissing her temple.

She let her head fall into the crook of his neck and her eyebrows furrowed in sadness and shame. Her body shivered a little as she let a single tear trail down her cheek.

"I can't believe that this whole thing even happened. I'm so sorry that this happened to you and your house, it's all my fault." She whispered. "It's all my fault, I'm sorry."

"Shh, shh. No it isn't, Traci. It isn't. It's just an unfortunate turn of events, okay? Stop blaming yourself." He answered quickly. "You're alright, we're all alright. And we'll never have to deal with him again, okay?"

"Promise?" She whimpered, letting a few more tears fall and her body begin to shake. "I'm so sorry, so sorry."

"No more apologies. None. You hear me? You've done nothing but fight for what you deserve." He said firmly. "You did everything right." He kissed her forehead a few times. "Everything."

"I love you." She cried. "Thank you so much for everything. You're so wonderful."

"Only because you deserve it, Traci." He kissed her again. "Let's go to sleep."


	5. Setting it in Stone

One more after this. Thanks for all reviews!

* * *

Setting it in Stone

It was during the early hours of the morning that Traci first opened her eyes. She inhaled sharply, and sat straight up in bed.

"Trace?" Jerry stirred. "You okay?" He rolled over to get a better look at her.

"Yeah." She nodded breathlessly, pressing her palm to her chest and feeling the cold sweat that drenched her skin. Jerry sat up next to her and placed his hand on the small of her back, noticing the small beads of sweat in the moonlight.

"Nightmare?" He asked quietly, studying her face for any reaction.

"I, I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders, her breathing still uneven. "I can't remember. I feel like it was, but I can't remember what about." She shook her head a little, closing her eyes tightly.

"Well, you're awake now." She looked at him, and smiled faintly. He leaned over and kissed her eyelid and curled his arm around her. "What do you wanna do now?"

"Now? Probably try to sleep again, stare at the ceiling for a while." She shrugged, but he started to laugh.

"What do you really want to do?" He raised one eyebrow. He definitely had her figured out.

"Not go to sleep." She admitted sheepishly, leaning into him.

"I thought so." He began to laugh. "Come on." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, and then extended a hand for her to do the same. She tilted her head to the side, but then took his hand and hopped off the bed as well, her blanket in tow.

He led her down the dark hallway to the living room, where he instructed her to sit on the couch. She asked why, but he just brushed it off and continued into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with two mugs of hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream and a little Baileys mixed in.

"That smells amazing." Traci laughed, her voice a little hoarse. She cleared her throat and he took her hand, leading her out to the back patio.

"Oh my God, Sam must be loaded!" Traci exclaimed as she observed the extensive landscaping in the small backyard. "And, since when did he have good taste in colours?" She looked at the perfectly matched maroon and dark wicker chairs.

"There is a lot that Sammy hides from people." He smiled. "Have a seat, Trace." He pulled out a chair out for her, before taking a seat himself next to her.

The frigid night air bit at his limbs, but he didn't show it. He didn't matter, right now, it was only his Traci.

"Too soon to talk?" He glanced over at her.

"We could, but I'm just, I'd like to mull it all over for a while." She looked at him, taking a sip from her hot chocolate. "If you don't mind." She smiled demurely.

"No, no not at all. Whenever you're ready." He laughed, rubbing his arms a little. Traci got up and walked over to him, wrapping the blanket around him before sitting in his lap and hanging her legs over the armrest of the chair. "To be honest, Trace," He began after she was comfortable. "I'm really not good at talking about things. At all." He furrowed his brow a little, swirling his hot chocolate in its mug.

"Are you kidding? You're like my own personal therapist. I feel bad for unloading everything on you." She let her head rest on his shoulder.

"Well, it's okay, because you talk, I listen and then I do my best to make you feel better. But, look, Trace, I don't want to freak you out but I really see a future between us. And I don't want you to get into it thinking I'm going to be some super awesome, problem solving guru. Because I'm not. I can barely solve my own dilemmas; I don't want to make yours any worse by giving some, stupid advice or something." He sighed. "I don't want to get your hopes up."

"Jerry, do you hear yourself? You're amazing, yet very oblivious, aren't you?" She kissed him on the cheek. "I see a future between us too. And I know exactly what I'm getting myself into. And, I love every part of it." She said adamantly.

Silence engulfed them for a few minutes; both lost in their own thoughts, watching their hot breath crystallize in the darkness surrounding them. Jerry traced lazy spiral patterns along Traci's back, his breathing aligning with the rise and fall of her chest. Her hair dangled around her shoulders, and she closed her eyes, the warmth of Jerry's skin against her own calming her like nothing else.

"Leo likes me, right?" He asked quietly.

"What? Of course he does. You're probably his favourite person in the world." Traci smiled. "Don't worry about it."

"Do you think he'd want to be here for Christmas?" His voice cracked a little.

"I'd imagine so. I know I planned on being here, and I think he's a bigger fan of you than I am!" Traci laughed. "I definitely think he'll be here."

"Well, what do you guys do for Christmas?" He drank more of his rapidly cooling drink. "Like, any special traditions? We'd always open presents after breakfast. I think my parents just liked to see us get all excited." He smiled at the fond memories.

"Same! We'd always get stockings and hang them by the fire, and we'd always get to open one present the night before. I love Christmas." She smiled brightly at him, prompting a gentle kiss.

"I don't know how you feel about this, but once my place is fixed up, I think we should give notice on your apartment. I think the trial period should be over." He nodded his head and looked at her deep brown eyes.

"Really?" She raised her eyebrows. "I thought you'd be having second thoughts after tonight."

"If anything, tonight just confirmed what I already suspected. It would be perfect, don't you think? Us, a little family. A real family, that lives together and eats together and has family movie night, and goes to the circus together, or whatever they call it now. Cirque du Soleil. We can go to that. And the zoo! Leo loves elephants, I mean, it's a no brainer." Jerry's head began spinning with possibilities, and Traci knew it.

"All of that," She said, silencing him. "Sounds wonderful."

She lay her head back down on his shoulder and smiled bigger than she ever could imagine after a night like that. It was silent for a few minutes, until Jerry turned a little and pulled her shoulder a little closer into him, laying his head down as well, his 3 AM o'clock shadow tickling Traci's cheek.

He didn't care if they stayed out there all morning, all day, all week. He just wanted to be close to his woman, revelling in this feeling of adequacy. He hadn't felt needed in a very long time, and he thought his marriage largely fell apart because of that; his wife was independent. She didn't need him, let alone want him apparently. But with Traci, he felt needed. He knew that he was indeed her rock, the person she needed to keep her going. And quite frankly, that terrified him; having the power to tear her down though he never actually would. What terrified him even more was that he without doubt needed her a thousand times more.

"Mom?" Leo asked from the open back door. "Why are you outside? Is that hot chocolate? CAN I HAVE SOME?" His eyes widened again. Jerry lifted his head as Traci laughed, straightening herself up on Jerry's lap.

"I'll make you some later, little man." Leo walked over to his Mom, and she ruffled his hair a little. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, very much so." Leo nodded. Jerry stifled a laugh at the little boys' large an unpredictable vocabulary.

"Have I ever told you that you speak like a British person, Leo?" Traci laughed.

"Many times, Mom." Leo smiled up at her dreamily before turning and walking back into the house. "This is a big house." He called from inside.

"Yeah, it's definitely a nice place." Traci smiled at Jerry. "How does he keep this place?"

"He was in deep cover for almost a year, Trace. They pay you pretty nicely to leave your life behind for that long." Jerry pointed out.

"Ah, very true." She smiled.

"Well," Jerry began as he helped Traci up and then stood himself, "when should we tell Leo?"

"Over breakfast?" She offered.

"Sounds good." Jerry smiled widely and butterflies erupted throughout his body. He was literally about to turn his own life upside down, but strangely enough, he was excited about it.

"Leo!" Traci called inside as she led the way through the door, mugs and blanket in hand. "Jerry and I have something we want to talk to you about."

"And what would that be, Mom?" Leo asked from the kitchen.

Jerry paused a moment outside the door and smiled as Traci picked Leo up and turned to look at him.

"The future." He supplied quietly. "Our future."


	6. Conditions

This is the end! I kept this one short and sweet, right to the point. I've got a few more fics in mind before the Division's Christmas party, which is sure to be VERY EVENTFUL :)

Thanks all for your reviews! They make me very happy.

* * *

Conditions

"We're off to see the wizard! The wonderful Wizard of Oz!" Leo sang as Jerry placed a plate of pancakes in front of him on the kitchen table.

"What do you say?" Traci reminded him from the sink, where she was washing some dishes.

"Thank you Jerry!" He smiled brightly before eagerly digging into his food. Jerry leaned up against the counter beside Traci and smiled at the little boy, devouring his pancakes.

"You wanna tell him now?" He asked, turning to look at her.

"Yeah. I gotta say, I'm excited but nervous at the same time." She smiled and shut off the tap.

"Same, Trace. Same." He shook his head and chuckled a little. "Hey Leo, we have a surprise for you!" The little boys' eyes snapped up and widened in anticipation.

"Surprise?" He whispered.

"More of a question, really. But we think you'll like what it's about." Traci added.

"Ask me! Ask me!" He received a pointed look from his Mom. "Please? Ask me, _please_?"

"That's better." Traci and Jerry took their seats at the table with Leo.

"Honey, you know how we've been sleeping over at Jerry's for the past few nights?" She decided to ease into it.

"Yeah! It's awesome." He chirped.

"Well, Leo, how would you feel about staying with me all the time?" Jerry asked timidly, nervous as to what the six year olds answer would be.

Leo looked at the two adults across from him and furrowed his brow, studying their faces.

"For real?" He asked. They both nodded, before chuckling to themselves. This felt strangely like interrogation.

"Will I still be able to hang out with Ben on Thursdays?" He asked, formulating a list of conditions in his head.

"I don't see why not." Traci shrugged.

"Will I have chores?" The six year old touched his fingertips together and quickly realized that he had the upper hand in the situation.

"Not necessarily, but you still have to clean up after yourself." Jerry interjected. Traci smiled proudly at how easily he fell into this roll of 'Dad'.

"Can we get a monkey?" Leo asked, completely serious.

"Well, Leo, no. But maybe we could look at getting a dog or something." Jerry laughed.

"REALLY? I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D SAY YES!" Leo yelled.

"Calm down, Leo. What do you think? Can we stay with Jerry from now on?" The two leaned forward and waited for an answer.

"Only if I never have to eat another carrot ever again." He nodded.

"I think we can handle that." Traci laughed, leaning over and kissing Jerry before standing and kissing Leo over the table.

"Ew! Mom! No kissing!" Leo complained as he hopped off of his chair and ran to the living room. The house was practically empty, but Leo still found a way to entertain himself.

"That went great." Jerry sighed, relieved. "This is great!"

"Definitely." Traci laughed, kissing him again. "How long until your place is fixed up?"

"Well I already talked to my guy, and he says it'll be three or four days for both of our places." He tilted his head to the side, shrugging off the timeline. "Whenever."

"You seem awfully at ease with this situation." Traci raised one eyebrow.

"Did you not just witness what your son agreed to? I'm over the freakin' moon. The house can wait." He smiled gleefully. "When were you gonna do that thing, with Andy? Shopping?"

"That was tomorrow." She recounted the days in her head. "Yeah, tomorrow."

"Why don't you girls go today? I'll take Leo out to the zoo or something, you go relax and have fun." He smiled, settling his hands on her waist.

"Aw, Jer, really? You don't have to do that!" She giggled. "You need to relax just as much as I do."

"Go, have fun." He insisted.

"If I must." She winked at him and kissed him one last time before flipping open her phone and calling Andy.

"Oh, and Trace, about that dog I said we'd get?" He began, and Traci bit her lip.

"No, no, Jer, you get to tell him that it's not gonna happen. I can't." She shook her head, but he just laughed.

"About that dog, what's your favourite breed? And do you think we should get one from the shelter, or a breeder? Young, mature, what are your thoughts on fur length?" He laughed. "I don't make promises I can't keep."

"Amazing." She smiled at him.

"Jerry! Come play soldiers with me!" Leo yelled from upstairs.

"You brought his soldiers?" She asked, her smile not having faded one bit.

"How could I not?" He stood and tucked his chair in, before kissing her one last time like he meant it. "Coming, Leo!"

"Absolutely amazing." Traci whispered to herself in contentment, feeling like there might be some hope for the world after all.


End file.
